valide

Valide is a term with multiple uses in different languages and historical contexts. In French, valide is an adjective meaning valid, legitimate, or justified, and it agrees with gender and number (valide, valides). It is commonly used to describe documents, statuses, or agreements that meet required conditions, as in passeport valide or contrat valide.

In Ottoman and Turkish historical contexts, Valide is the first element of the title Valide Sultan, which designates the sultan’s mother, the queen mother of the empire. The Valide Sultan often held considerable influence at court and could act as a regent or power broker, especially during the minority of a prince or in periods of palace intrigue. Notable holders of the title include Kösem Sultan, Turhan Hatice Sultan, and Nurbanu Sultan, among others.

The term is primarily encountered in French-language contexts and in discussions of Ottoman history. In modern Turkish, the historical title Valide Sultan remains the standard reference, while the standalone word valide appears mainly in the adjectival sense or within scholarly usage.

See also: valid, validation, sultan.